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Pittsburgh City Council

Reducing the minimum penalty for engaging in sex work.

Written by Amy Whipple

  • The minimum penalty for engaging in sex work will soon be a summary offense (like a traffic ticket) with a $100 fine. A judge would be able to authorize no more than 20 hours of community service instead of the fine.
  • Previously, sex work was a misdemeanor offense. A first-time offense carried a $2,500 fine and up to one year in jail.
  • According to the text of the bill:
  • Between 2016 and 2022, only 3% the City’s arrests for prostitution concerned incidents of violence, sex trafficking, or the victimization of minors. The remainder are presumed to be consensual exchanges between adults.
  • 67% of people arrested for prostitution during those years were sex workers, rather than clients.
  • A disproportionate amount of people arrested for prostitution are non-white and non-men.
  • In Pittsburgh, clients routinely had their cases resolved with a summary offense at the preliminary hearing level.
  • A misdemeanor offense creates a criminal record that can hinder future employment, housing and child custody.
  • Reducing penalties for sex work allows for improved health outcomes. Sex workers are more empowered to report crimes or seek social and medical services.
  • The bill does not de-criminalize sex work. Councilmember Warwick reported that doing so is a state-level decision.
  • The bill received a unanimous recommendation. It will receive a final vote on July 8.

Connections to this story

Topics:
Public Safety & EMS
Governments:
Pittsburgh City Council
Public meetings:
City Council · July 1, 2025
Sources:
Ordinance 2025-1976 — supplementing the Pittsburgh Code, Title 6: Conduct, Article 1: Regulated Rights and Actions by adding a new section…

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